Under EUGreenComp (2022), all university educational settings aim to develop awareness and civic competences that empower individuals to take action toward transforming society into a more sustainable one. We applied for the ESDEUS project to strengthen the university’s capacity as a leader in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The project focuses on ESD-relevant teaching, research, and collaboration with stakeholders. The consortium includes four universities from Poland, Sweden, Portugal, and Italy, with direct involvement of a Polish local stakeholder. The ESDEUS Consortium leader invited the Wroclaw Academic Center (Wrocławskie Centrum Akademickie) as an associated partner to patronize the “Introduction to ESD” course, implemented in the second year of the project (a letter of intent was signed on September 2, 2024).) The center also supported the final ESDEUS conference. During the project lifetime, we wanted to exchange knowledge and experiences between universities from different European regions and learn how local European communities (local actors) describe achievements, failures, barriers and the type of support in building local partnerships with universities in the ESD area.
The motivation for the ESDEUS project was to foster collaboration among four universities from different European regions and to join forces in addressing similar structural issues and challenges related to the implementation and advancement of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The primary objective was to build awareness and capacity among various groups - including university staff, teachers, students, local communities, citizens, and local actors - regarding the importance of ESD. This focus extends to promoting the development of students’ civic engagement, leadership, and communication skills. Secondly, the project aimed to identify gaps and barriers in implementing ESD policies, as well as highlight effective strategies used by different universities, since higher education institutions play a vital role in advancing sustainable development. Finally, the project sought to build and strengthen partnerships between universities and local communities in the field of ESD, recognizing that strong alliances can lead to the creation of more relevant and impactful ESD curricula that address local challenges and contribute to sustainable development.